Toilet unit



Sept. 22, 1954 c. A. SPRINGER TOILET UNIT Filed May '7, 1962 J1 I r INVENTOR CLENE A. SPRINSER ATTORNEY WA d United States Patent "ice 3,149,346 TOILET UNIT Clarence A. Springer, 345 N. Sunnyvale Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif. Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,868 4 Ciairns. (Cl. 4-135) The present invention relates in general to toilet units, and more particularly to a toilet 1oowl and the equipment, apparatus and devices associated therewith.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved toilet unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for concealing the ilush tank of a toilet unit.

Another object of the present invention is to facilitate the installation of a toilet unit.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a toilet unit embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 2 2 of FIG. 1 to illustrate the toilet bowl, ushing and drain connections for the toilet unit of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 3 3 of FIG. l to illustrate a hinge for the toilet seat with the toilet seat in a horizontal position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the toilet seat hinge.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along line 5 5 or" FIG. 3.

FIG. FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken along line 7 7 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a portion of the toilet seat hinge.

Illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 is the toilet unit 10 embodying the present invention, which comprises a toilet bowl cabinet 11. Disposed within the cabinet 11 and concealed from view thereby is a toilet bowl I2. Located behind the cabinet 11 and concealed from view by a conventional wall 13 is a ush tank 14. Conduits 15 communicate with the flush tank 14 and the inlet of the toilet bowl 12. The outlet of the toilet bowl 12 is connected to a conventional waste pipe 16 through fittings 17-18.

The cabinet 11 (FIGS. 1 and 2) includes upright, facing end walls 21 and 22. Attached to the walls 21 and 22 is a rear wall 23. Facing the rear wall 23 and attached to the end walls 21 and 22 is a front wall 24. The front wall 24 is slanted inwardly from top to bottom so that the lower portion thereof is spaced inwardly a substantial distance from a perpendicular drawn from the uppermost portion thereof (FIG. 2). It is apparent that the same effect could be accomplished by staggering the front wall 24 in a step-by-step manner.

Supported by the walls 21-24 is an inverted U-shaped counter 25. Fixed to the facing inner walls of the counter 25 and to the upper edge of the front wall 24 is a recessed toilet seat mounting support 28, which is preferably a molded plastic. The unitary recessed mounting support 2S includes upright side walls 29-31 that have an inverted U-shaped configuration, a front wall 32 of reduc-ed height and horizontal base 32. Secured to the walls 29-32 and the base 32 is a horizontal panel 33 of the molded plastic support 2S having a suitable opening 34 formed therein.

A toilet seat 40 is pivotally `attached to the support 28 6 is a vertical section taken along line 6 6 of 3,149,346 Patented Sept. 22, 1964 for positioning either in a horizontal position or in a Vertical position (FIGS. l and 2) by a pair of hinges 41 and 42 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4). The hinges 41 and 42 are attached to the upright side walls 29 and 31, respectively, of the support 28 by suitable means, such as screws 43 (only one being shown in FIG. 3).

The hinges 41 and 42 are similar in structure, function and operate in the same manner, and, hence, only the hinge 41 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, disposed between each hinge, such as hinge 41, is an upright resilient member 45 which is fixed to the Wall 29. The resilient member 45 is preferably made of neoprene and has a configuration similar to a heel of a shoe.

Formed in the resilient member 45 are triangularly spaced openings 46-48 (FIG. 7) and a centrally located opening 49. The screw 43 is inserted into the opening 49 for securing the member 45 to the wall 29. The hinge 4I comprises a pivot pin support 50 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which abuts against the resilient member 45 and is also supported by the wall 29. The pivot pin support 5l) includes .an upright body section 51 having a configuration similar to the conliguration of the resilient member 45 (FIG. 7). Projecting from the body section 51 are three guide members or protuberances that are triangularly spaced and arranged t-o be received by the openings 46-48 of the resilient member 45. The screw 43 is inserted into a centrally located opening 49 of the body section 51 for securing the pivot pin support Sil to the wall 29.

Integrally formed with the body section 51 is a tubular bearing 56 and a flat, horizontal wall 58a. Disposed within the bearing 58 and aixed to the body section 51 is a pivot pin locking member 60 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The locking member Gil is formed with a substantially vertical groove or recess 6I and a substantially horizontal groove or recess 62. The grooves 61 and 62 at the greater angle therebetween are spaced substantially 96 degrees apart.

Iournalled Within the bearings 5S for pivotal movement is a pivot pin 65 (FIG. 3). At the forward portion thereof, the pivot pin 65 is cylindrical (FIGS. 6 and 8) and at the rearward portion thereof, the pivot pin `65 has a square cross-sectional area (FIG. 5). The forward end of the pivot pin 65 is beveled at opposite portions thereof and forms a centrally located flat projection 65a (FIG. 8). The at projection 65a is optionally insertable either into the horizontal groove 62 or into the vertical groove 61.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pivot pin 65 is also received by a housing 66 that is fixed within a slotted opening of the toilet seat 40. The pivot pin 65 is supported within the housing 66 for sliding movement toward and away from the locking member 6i) but is not rotatable Within the housing 66 because of the square cross-sectional area (FIG. 5) of the rearward portion thereof. However, the pivot pin 65 with its cylindrical forward portion (FIG. 6) is rotatable within the bearing 58, unless the projection 65a is inserted within either the vertical groove 61 or the horizontal groove 62 of the locking member 60, in which event the pivot pin 65 is restrained thereby from rotatable movement relative to the bearing 58.

Interengaging the rearward portion of the pivot pin 65 and the end wall of the housing 66 is a compression spring 67 (FIG. 3), which continuously urges the pivot pin 65 toward the locking member 66. The pivot pin 65 is capable of rotating relative to the bearing 58 when not disposed within the grooves 61 and 62 of the locking member 6), but cannot rotate relative to the toilet seat 40. A suitable key 68 is attached to the pivot pin 65 and is disposed within a suitable slot in the toilet seat 49, whereby an operator can grip the key 68 to move the pivot pin 65 away from the locking member 60 against the urgency of the spring 67.

The toilet seat 40 can be locked either in a vertical position (FIG. 1) or a horizontal position (FIGS. 2 and 3) and can be moved to be disposed either in a horizontal position or a vertical position. When the toilet seat 40 is in the vertical position, the projection 65a is disposed within the vertical slot 61. To move the toilet seat 40 to a horizontal position, the toilet seat 40 is rotated by an operator to remove the projection 65a from` the groove 61 and to advance the projection 65a into the horizontal groove 62. At this time, the toilet seat 40 is locked in the horizontal position. To move the toilet seat 40 from the horizontal to the vertical position, the toilet seat 40 is rotated by an operator .to remove the projection 65a from the groove 62 and to advance the projection 65a until it occupies the vertical groove 61. The toilet seat 40 is now locked in the vertical position. To remove the toilet seat 40 for cleaning purposes and the like, the key 68 is actuated to remove the pivot pins 65 from the grooves occupied by the projections 65a.

A toilet seat cover 71 is pivotally attached to the support 28 for positioning either in a substantially vertical position or in a horizontal position (FIGS. 1 and 2) by a pair of suitable pivot pins 72 and 73. The pivot pins are fixed to the lowermost portion of the toilet seat cover 71 and are journalled for rotation within the upright side Walls 29 and 31, respectively, of the support 28. T he axes of the pivot pins 72 and 73 are rearward of and higher than the pivot axes of the hinges 41 and 42 so as to enable the seat cover 71 to be disposed over the seat 40 when both are horizontal and to enable the seat cover 71 to be rearward of the seat 40 when both are substantially vertical. It is to be observed from FIG. 2 that when the toilet seat cover 71 is in its horizontal position, the upper surface thereof is at even height with the upper surface of the counter 2S and the recess formed by the support 28 has the same configuration as the seat cover 71, whereby the seat cover 71 its snugly within the recess. At the time the seat cover 71 is horizontal, the under side thereof rests upon the at upper surfaces of the walls 58a of the hinges 41 and 42.

Disposed below the panel 33 and within the cabinet 11 is the toilet bowl 12 which has an opening 75 (FIG. 2) thereof in registry with the opening 34 of the panel 33. The bowl 12 is supported by the mounting support 28 of the cabinet 11 by means of a plurality of wellknown ring adapters 76 (only two shown in FIG. 2)l which interengage the periphery of the bowl 12 and the inner walls of the mounting support 28.

Communicating with the waste outlet of the toilet bowl 12 and bolted to the toilet bowl 12 is the adapter tting 17 (FIG. 2), which fitting 17 has a double elbow. The fitting 18 has a anged upper end with elongated slots 80 (FIG. 2), which flanged upper end is bolted to the adapter fitting 17, which also has alongated slots in its flanged facing end. By virtue of the elongated slots suicient play is provided to facilitate the installation of the drainage ttings. Communicating with the lower end of the iitting 18 is an adapter fitting 81 with a hub for receiving the lower end of the litting 18. The adapter fitting 81 is formed with a suitable configuration and rests within the hub of the waste pipe 16. Through this arrangement, the installation of the bowl 12 and the connecting iittings is facilitated, since the exact location of the waste pipe 16 is no longer a critical'factor.

Disposed within the wall 13 and concealed thereby is the ush tank 14. The tank 14 is an air tight pressure tank of the accumulator type which communicates with a supply of Water through a conduit 82 (FIG. 2), An outlet conduit. 83 communicates with the ilush tank 14 and the toilet bowl 12. Interposed between the ilush tank 14 and the toilet bowl 12 is a conventional flush valve 84.

In the use and operation of the toilet unit of the present invention, the toilet bowl 12 is disposed within the cabinet 11 and the flush tank 14 is disposed within 4 the wall 13. When the toilet seat 4t? and the toilet seat cover 71 are horizontally positioned, the toilet seat cover 71 is located within the recess formed by the support 28 with the upper surface thereof at even height with the upper surface of the counter 25. The toilet seat 4t) is -optionally locked either in the horizontal position or in a substantially vertical position by the hinges 41 and 42.

It is -to be understood that modifications and variations of the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as ew and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A toilet unit comprising a cabinet having a counter with an opening therein, a horizontal support disposed within said opening and xed to said counter, said horizontal support being formed with a U-shaped border therearound having parallel upright Walls and a rearward wall, said horizontal support being formed with a portion thereof recessed relative to said counter intermediate said parallel upright walls of said U-shaped border, said recessed portion of said horizontal support being formed with an opening therein, a toilet bowl disposed within vsaid cabinet below said horizontal support and having an -opening formed therein in registry with the opening formed in the recessed portion of said horizontal support, and means mounting said toilet bowl from said horizontal support for supporting said toilet bowl.

2. A toilet unit comprising a cabinet having a counter 'with an opening therein, a horizontal support disposed Within said opening and Xed to said counter, said horizontal support being formed with a U-shaped border therearound having parallel upright walls and a rearward wall, said horizontal support being formed with a portion thereof recessed relative to said counter intermediate said parallel upright walls of said U-shaped border, said recessed portion of said horizontal support being formed with an opening therein, a toilet bowl disposed within said cabinet below said horizontal support and having an opening formed therein in registry with the opening formed in the recessed portion of said horizontal support, means mounting said toilet bowlV from said horizontal support for supporting said toilet bowl, and a toilet seat pivotally attached to said parallel upright wall of `said U-shaped border of said horizontal support adjacent said rearward wall for horizontal positioning within the recessed portion of said horizontal support.

3. A toilet unit comprising a cabinet having a counter with an opening therein, a horizontal support disposed within said opening and xed to said counter, said horizontal support being formed with a U-shaped border therearound having parallel upright walls and a rearward wall, said horizontal support being formed with a portion thereof recessed relative to said counter intermediate said parallel upright Walls of `said U-shaped border, said recessed portion of said horizontal support being formed with an opening therein, a toilet bowl disposed within said cabinet below said horizontal support and having an opening formed therein in registry with the opening formed in the recessed portion of said horizontal support, means mounting said bowl from said horizontal support for supporting said toilet bowl, a toilet seat pivotally attached to said parallel upright Walls of said U-shaped border of said horizontal support adjacent said rearward Wall for horizontal positioning within the recessed portion of said horizontal support, and a toilet seat cover pivotally attached to said parallel upright walls of said =Ushaped border of said horizontal support adjacent said rearward wall for horizontal positioning within the recessed portion of said support with the upper surface thereof at even height with the upper surface of said counter.

4. A toilet unit comprising a cabinet having a counter with an opening therein, a unitary horizontal support disposed within said opening and Xed to said counter, said horizontal support being formed with a U-shaped border therearound having parallel upright walls and a rearward wall, said horizontal support being formed with a portion thereof recessed relative to said counter intermediate said parallel upright Walls of said U-shaped border, said recessed portion of said horizontal support being formed with an opening therein, a toilet bowl disposed within said cabinet below said horizontal support and having an opening formed therein in registry with the opening formed in the recessed portion of said horizontal support, means mounting said toilet bowl from said horizontal support for supporting said toilet bowl, a toilet seat pivotally attached o said parallel upright walls of said U-shaped border of horizontal support adjacent said rearward wall for horizontal positioning Within the recessed portion of said horizontal support, and a seat cover pivotally attached to said parallel upright walls of U-shaped border of said horizontal support adjacent said rearward wall for horizontal positioning within the recessed portion of said horizontal support with the upper surface thereof at even height with the upper surface of said counter.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McLaughlin Apr. 17, Golden Oct. 2, Hinsdale Mar. 26, Tapling Aug. 24, Torossian Jan. 16, Hostetter Sept. 24, Ayers et al. June 10, OtWell Oct. 17, Wallace Apr. 2, Wexelberg et al. Aug. l0, Groeniger Feb. 1, Schmitz Dec. 11, Sherwood Nov. 10, Goodeld Dec. 8, Suser June 12, Hurko Sept. 11, Kleinhof June 5,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 29, Great Britain Oct. 24, 

1. A TOILET UNIT COMPRISING A CABINET HAVING A COUNTER WITH AN OPENING THEREIN, A HORIZONTAL SUPPORT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OPENING AND FIXED TO SAID COUNTER, SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT BEING FORMED WITH A U-SHAPED BORDER THEREAROUND HAVING PARALLEL UPRIGHT WALLS AND A REARWARD WALL, SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT BEING FORMED WITH A PORTION THEREOF RECESSED RELATIVE TO SAID COUNTER INTERMEDIATE SAID PARALLEL UPRIGHT WALLS OF SAID U-SHAPED BORDER, SAID RECESSED PORTION OF SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT BEING FORMED WITH AN OPENING THEREIN, A TOILET BOWL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CABINET BELOW SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT AND HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN IN REGISTRY WITH THE OPENING FORMED IN THE RECESSED PORTION OF SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID TOILET BOWL FROM SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING SAID TOILET BOWL. 